Quotes and Questions used in Invisible Man
Questions:
Why is it so different when the vender sees IM as the yam eating type versus the time when the waiter offers the stake, egg and grits to IM? IM was so offended by the waiter but not the vender. What made this change?
How significant of a role does the quote, “’I yam what I am’”, play in IM realization of acceptance of the “black” culture?
IM is reminded of his mother for the second time in the past three chapters. Is this showing IM’s resurfacing his past and heritage and/or does this have a different function?
How has the speech changed IM? Did the speech effect IM or the crowd the most?
Why did the women have to go inside to pray and why did Ellison set up the scene with religion?
Quotes:
“’I yam what I am’”
The “I am” part of this quote starts to answer the question of the doctors in chapter 11 of who IM really is and where he stands. The “yam” is his culture and he is finally accepting it.
“’Just look,’ the old women said, ‘just look,’ her face still turned towards mine. I turned away, edging closer to the two men.”
This quote is important to IM development as a character that is not to blinded by false guidance. IM is almost able to truly “look” and see the wrong with not only the scene but relationship between blacks and whites.
“The white man’s eyes swept the crowd. ‘Where lady?’ he said. ‘I don’t see any Bible’”
In the quote, the white man is seen as a child and a bully much like a boy picking on a girl during recess. The situation then seems silly and completely un called for.
“’Friends of what people?’ I called, prepared to jump down upon him if he answered, ‘You people.’ ‘We are friends of all the common people,’ he shouted. ‘We came to help’”
This quote is very important to a possibly evolving relationship between the whites and blacks. Never before chapter 13 were white seen as “good” people and never before had the white people seen the blacks as anything more than black. But in this quote they are of a relationship as
Why is it so different when the vender sees IM as the yam eating type versus the time when the waiter offers the stake, egg and grits to IM? IM was so offended by the waiter but not the vender. What made this change?
How significant of a role does the quote, “’I yam what I am’”, play in IM realization of acceptance of the “black” culture?
IM is reminded of his mother for the second time in the past three chapters. Is this showing IM’s resurfacing his past and heritage and/or does this have a different function?
How has the speech changed IM? Did the speech effect IM or the crowd the most?
Why did the women have to go inside to pray and why did Ellison set up the scene with religion?
Quotes:
“’I yam what I am’”
The “I am” part of this quote starts to answer the question of the doctors in chapter 11 of who IM really is and where he stands. The “yam” is his culture and he is finally accepting it.
“’Just look,’ the old women said, ‘just look,’ her face still turned towards mine. I turned away, edging closer to the two men.”
This quote is important to IM development as a character that is not to blinded by false guidance. IM is almost able to truly “look” and see the wrong with not only the scene but relationship between blacks and whites.
“The white man’s eyes swept the crowd. ‘Where lady?’ he said. ‘I don’t see any Bible’”
In the quote, the white man is seen as a child and a bully much like a boy picking on a girl during recess. The situation then seems silly and completely un called for.
“’Friends of what people?’ I called, prepared to jump down upon him if he answered, ‘You people.’ ‘We are friends of all the common people,’ he shouted. ‘We came to help’”
This quote is very important to a possibly evolving relationship between the whites and blacks. Never before chapter 13 were white seen as “good” people and never before had the white people seen the blacks as anything more than black. But in this quote they are of a relationship as